gurgeons

English

Alternative forms

• grudgeons, grudgins

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Middle French grugeon (“sugar lump”), from grugier (“to laugh”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒənz/, /ˈɡɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒɪnz/

Noun

gurgeons pl (plural only)

1. (obsolete) A coarse bran flour.
   • 1587, Raphaell Holinshed, Iohn Hooker, “Of the food and diet of the Engliſh”, in The firſt and ſecond volumes of Chronicles […] , volume I, London: Henry Denham, page 169:

     The raueled cheat therfore is generallie ſo made that out of one buſhell of meale, after two and twentie pounds of bran be ſifted and taken from it (wherevnto they ad the gurgeons that riſe from the manchet) they make thirtie cast, euerie lofe weighing eightéene ounces into the ouen and ſixteene ounces out […]

   • 1623 (first performance), John Fletcher, William Rowley, “The Maid in the Mill”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 12, column 1:

     You that can deal with Gudgins^[sic], and courſe floure, / 'Tis pitie you ſhould taſte what manchet means […]

   • 1746, Thomas Moffett, Christopher Bennet, Health's Improvement […] ‎^[1], London: T. Oſborne, page 339:

     Where by the way note, that loaves made of pure Wheaten Meal require both more Leaven and more labouring, and more baking than either coarſe Cheat or than Bread Mingled of Meal and Grudgins.

Anagrams

• ungorges